UPDATE: Jo Luck Will Take On New Role with Heifer International By Arkansas Business Staff 1/14/2010 11:10:00 AM
Jo Luck, president and CEO of Heifer International, is taking on a new role.
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Heifer International announced Thursday that Jo Luck is stepping away from her position as chief executive officer to write a book about her experiences with the global hunger and poverty organization.
“Under Jo Luck’s leadership, Heifer International has grown into one of the world’s most prominent hunger and poverty partners,” said Heifer International Board Chair Doug Smith in a released statement. “But we are very excited by this new opportunity and role, where she will mirror Heifer’s work, passing on the gifts of her knowledge and wisdom through a book about her two-decade journey that has taken her around the globe.”
At the same time, Smith announced the board had asked former Heifer board chair and retired Little Rock Regions Bank executive Charles O. Stewart to serve as interim CEO. He said the move entails no significant new directions and expects an orderly transition to new executive leadership.
Luck will retain her title of president, and expects to work closely with Stewart and Heifer chief operating officer Steve Denne during the transition. Smith said Heifer will launch a global search for a permanent CEO.
"We did go through some difficult changes," he said. "But at this moment, we're cautiously optimistic about our fundraising and revenue positions. All things being equal, we're feeling pretty good about our position right now."
Luck cited her age -- 68 -- and the feeling that the time was right to step into a new role. She said Heifer officials have had conversations about the eventual transition to new leadership for almost a year and a half.
"As wisdom says, there is a season for everything," she said. "It's time for me to move into that new season. I leave the executive office in great hands, and I treasure my time with the Heifer team."
